“He just cried a little bit so I didn’t think that was really necessary,” Manning said of Norman on Monday. “I think both those guys were going at it. I don’t think either one was in the right, but I didn’t think one was worse than the other.”

That might not be the way the rest of the football world saw it, but Manning had Beckham’s back, even noting that — cheap shots aside — the Giants star got the best of the play on the field.

Odell Beckham Jr. gets a one-game ban for his antics in Sunday's loss to the Panthers.

“Obviously (Odell) had the fourth-and-5 and made a big play on Norman, probably the only time they played man-to-man coverage, Norman-Odell,” Manning said. “And he (Beckham) beat him. He responded when we needed him to.”

As Beckham stayed out of sight, Norman was very visible, saying Beckham’s third-quarter head shot crossed a line that he would never cross. “That right there was a melee. I can’t respect a guy like that,” said Norman, who proceeded to call Beckham two-faced.

Said Manning, “I think Norman came out and made his comments, which I think Odell took the higher road so I am proud of him on that aspect,” he added.

Eli Manning points to Odell Beckham's 4th-quarter TD catch as proof that he got the better of Josh Norman during Sunday's game.

Not that Manning in any way condoned Beckham’s behavior. He said he did try to calm the receiver down early on, telling him to “be smart,” and he added that Beckham seemed to heed that advice.

Manning hinted that the officials, who didn’t throw any unnecessary roughness flags early on, even as Norman picked up Beckham and slammed him into the ground on one play, should shoulder blame.

“I thought early on he was being smart,” Manning said. “I saw a few plays where Norman body slammed him or is going after him and he (Beckham) didn’t retaliate, he didn’t come back after him or push him or do anything and I thought he was being smart. But if the flags aren’t called early and guys keep doing it, eventually it’s going to lead to something further.

“It’s one of those deals, they were going after each other and, hey, we don’t support that,” Manning said. “It’s not what I’d do, but you’ve got to be able to handle it on both sides and pay the consequences.”